Enhancing learning for DDS candidates during the COVID-19 pandemic with the implementation of computer-aided design files

Restoring and managing oral health requires a combination of visual, tactical, hand skills, and kinesthetic experiences based on three-dimensional structures. In the Autumn of 2019, the College of Dentistry started incorporating computer-aided design (CAD) files accessible in any setting through tablets, smartphones and laptops, offering a user-friendly on-demand experience for students. The Covid-19 breakout created a major challenge for maintaining the students’ academic progress due to the limited face-to-face interaction and restriction on handling analog samples required in the preclinical laboratories. Using an already developed platform, the CAD library was expanded to different courses, such as Dental Anatomy, allowing prompt return of the courses online, and later in the hybrid mode. A Qualtrics survey conducted had an excellent (64%) response rate, and the student feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Additionally, student performance on practical exams in courses where CAD files were implemented showed improved results from previous years (p= 0.05) despite limited hands-on instruction. In conclusion, the CAD files were well accepted, utilized, and beneficial, and will continue to be implemented moving forward.